In the week of May 11, solar photovoltaic generation increased in most European electricity markets compared with the previous week. Italy posted the largest gain, up 19%, after two consecutive weeks of declines. Germany recorded the smallest increase at 0.5%. Spain and France also rose for a second straight week, climbing 6.1% and 8.5%, respectively.
The only exception was Portugal, where photovoltaic output fell by 3.0% compared with the prior week. For the following period, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s solar outlook for the week of May 18 pointed to higher generation in Italy, Germany, and Spain. The assessment cited seasonal conditions and improving solar resource availability as factors behind the expected continuation.
Wind generation increases in second week of May
Wind energy production rose across most European electricity markets during the second week of May versus the previous week. Germany recorded the largest jump, with wind generation increasing by 120%. This move reversed a downward pattern seen over the prior two weeks. Spain saw the smallest rise at 21%, extending its growth streak to a third consecutive week.
France and Italy also reported rebounds, with wind output increasing by 50% and 100%, respectively, after earlier declines. Portugal moved in the opposite direction, with wind generation down by 7.1%. A separate daily reference from that period highlighted Tuesday, May 12.
On Tuesday, May 12, the German market reached its highest daily wind production for May over the past four years, totaling 623 GWh. This figure was cited as an example of the scale of wind output swings within Europe’s largest power market. The same dataset then shifted to expectations for later in May.
AleaSoft forecasts lower wind output in third week of May
For the third week of May, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s wind forecasts indicated lower wind production across all analyzed European markets. The outlook pointed to a potential short-term reversal following the strong gains recorded in the prior week. AleaSoft’s assessment was limited to those analyzed markets and did not provide additional country-by-country figures beyond the direction of change.